Fanned by Flames
by Aurora-Boring-Alis
Summary: She watched in terror as they hurried into the lab, holding Shard in his psychokenetic grip. Everyone hurried past her, rushing to assist the robot in question. Her eyes fell upon him: seeing his body crushed and crumpled, metal bent out of shape. But the most terrifying thing to her was the crack down the centre of his Power Gem Core. [Shardicole. Set after Sonic Universe #50.]


" _Shard to N-Nicole. Copy?_ "

She had been working within the digital realm when she heard his call. The lynx transported out the second she heard his voice. She was confused as to why he was calling. Usually, he wouldn't unless something happened. Something bad.

"I copy, but your signal is weak! Are you okay?" She asked.

" _Haha- No. I n-need an emergency pick up. G-Great Wastes._ " His voice was cutting in and out, static peppered his words. He sounded hurt, and his request only confirmed it. " _Metal S-Sonic down... Not ready my doing, but hey, I'm surviving long enough to gloat!_ "

"Hold on! I've got agents on the way!" She said, sending a page to Silver and Elias Acorn.

" _Tell them... W-Warn them... Metal more dangerous... Eggman will rebuild... More than just a weapon... Much more..._ "

" _A-And N-Nicole?_ " The robot said. " _Y-You're..._ "

His voice died off. "Shard, do you copy? Shard? Shard!" NICOLE called as the other end let out a horrifying screech. She began to panic. His servers had gone offline. Was he unconscious? Did his Power Gem Core give out? Did his systems overheat? Her mind was racing.

She attempted to gain focus as she heard herself get paged. " _Agent Spades, do you copy?_ "

It was Elias. NICOLE nodded, then realizing that he couldn't see her. "Yes." She said.

" _Silver and I received your page? What is the matter?_ "

"Hurry to the Great Wastes." She said, nervousness in her tone. "Shard engaged Metal Sonic. He sent a distress call a minute ago. He's been damaged and needs an immediate pick up."

" _We're on our way._ " Elias said over the noise of an Extreme Gear powering up in the background. She heard Silver come online. " _How damaged was he?_ " He asked.

NICOLE shook her head again. "I don't know. His systems went offline in the middle of conversation." She said, worry crossing her tone. "He might be in standby to reserve energy, or..."  
" _Oh._ " Silver murmured.

" _NICOLE, page Sir Charles, and have prepared to fix Jack back at Secret HQ._ " Elias ordered. " _Did Metal survive?_ "

"No. He was destroyed. But Shard said that he more dangerous than ever. Please, be careful."

" _Of course, Spades._ " The two said in unison. " _Over and out._ "

She turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Using her mobile unit, she brought up the SSF profile on Sir Charles. The unit beamed out a holographic screen before the AI. Her fingers gingerly tapped the call button.

He answered almost immediately. " _Chuck speaking._ " A raspy voice said.

"Sir, it's NICOLE, you're needed at Secret HQ." She said, glancing to a screen. A map filled the holograph. Two small blinking lights flickered on the screen. They weren't far from the Great Wastes. A circle indicated Shard's location, with a solid orange on screen.

" _What happened now?_ "

"Agent Jack was damaged after battling Metal Sonic." She said, watching as the dots sped closer to the circle. "He sent a distress call for an emergency pickup. His servers went offline. He needs to be fixed or at least checked out."

Chuck sighed. " _Darn it..._ " He muttered. " _I'll be over as soon as I can, NICOLE._ "

"I'll have work station set up for you." She said. "Travel careful, Sir."

" _Will do. See you soon._ " He said.

* * *

The Great Wastes was a frightening sight for not only Elias, but Silver too. Throughout his time on Mobius, he marveled at the beauty of the planet. From frozen tundra, to lush meadows, he had been in awe. But the Great Wastes scared him. It reminded him of his world. Of the fallen buildings and eroded statues. It reminded him of the loss, the pain and the sorrow that the world had gone through.

Infertile, damaged land filled his eyes. Rock and dirt went as far as the eye could see. The moon shone down on the mountains, peaked with rocks.

"Keep your eyes open, Ace." Elias said. "He's offline. He can be anywhere."

"Right." Silver said. "I'll take over, here, you look over there."

The usurped king nodded before scooting his Extreme Gear away from the hedgehog. Silver leapt in the air, using his psychokenesis to levitate. The glow from his powers lit the world around him. While the idea of Shard taking on Metal Sonic wasn't far off from normal in Silver's mind, the idea that Shard was beaten was entirely foreign. The robot had once been a copy of the true blue hero himself, so how could he lose? This scared Silver. Shard was a powerhouse; he could take out bad guys in a matter of seconds. He had even trashed Metal Sonic before, when New Mobotropolis had been invaded by Eggman's forces! So how could he lose now? Moreso, what had the good doctor done to this newly built Metal Sonic model in order to inflict such damage on Shard?

"Ace, I've found him!" Elias called, hurriedly.

Silver glanced in the direction of the king, hurrying over. As he shone his psychokenesis towards Elias, he saw the king bent over the broken down bot.

"Oh my gosh." Silver breathed, looking at Shard. His cannon had been almost blown straight off. The last time Silver saw that happen was when Larry went to fist bump Shard. His paint job had been scuffed and chipped. His body had been dented badly, his spines crumpled backwards. The glass of where his optics were had been cracked. His ear popped out of its socket, hanging on by a thread. Worse, his right leg had been torn straight off of his body. But the most damaging sight was his Power Gem. A crack bolstered from the bottom left, up to the top right of the core.

"We haven't a moment to lose." Elias said. "We need to get him back to HQ."

Wordlessly, Silver used his psychokenesis to pick up Shard. The hedgehog leapt in the air, carrying Shard in his wake.

"Eli- I mean, King - do you think he's gonna be all right?" Silver asked as they rushed back to Secret HQ. Elias didn't answer, only staring straight forwards onto the horizon. The moon shone in the sky, illuminating Silver and Elias' faces, both solemn and still.

* * *

" _We've got him._ " Elias had radioed into the communications system at Secret HQ.

NICOLE was constructing a metal holster with chains stretching to the ceiling for Shard. Chuck went through his supply of tools before hollering at one of the numerous screens in front of him. "How bad is his damage?" He asked.

Elias grimaced. " _Pretty rough. Silver's got him now._ "

" _Hey, Sir Charles, I hope you don't mind me asking, would you be able to use lighter metal next time you build a robot?_ " Silver asked, slightly breathless. " _Sha—I mean, Agent Jack—weighs a ton!"_

"Well Fernhead, I'd like to see you build a heavy duty robot using only scrap parts of damaged Metal Sonic and Metal Scourge bots!" Chuck retorted.

" _Cut it out, Ace._ " Elias ordered. " _We're a few minutes out. Have a medical bay ready for him._ "

"Already on it, Sir." NICOLE said.

" _Excellent. See you momentarily._ " The king said before hanging up.

The older hedgehog grumbled. "NICOLE, can you get a monitor up for me. I'm pretty sure we'll need to scan for internal damage to his data banks..."

"Of course." NICOLE said, creating a screen out of nanites. Her eyes wandered to the screen projecting Silver and Elias' whereabouts. They hovered directly over the secret entrance to the headquarters.

Her eyes tore from the screen as Silver rushed in, his psychokenesis levitating Shard in the air. The gawky kid accidentally knocked the unconscious bot into one of the doors, causing Elias to sharply snap at him.

"Where do you want him?" He asked.

"Just lower him down. Elias and I'll move him onto the belt." Chuck said.

The hedgehog lowered Shard as gently as he could. The second he touched the ground, Elias and Chuck took the robot from what was left of his legs and arms. They hoisted him onto the belt, his limbs sticking out from the chains. NICOLE connected Shard to the closest computer, allowing his body to begin to recharge.

"Let's get a scan, NICOLE." He said as Elias and Silver looked at their fallen teammate.

"At once, Sir." She said, shutting her eyes and producing keyboards at her hands. She typed in commands, as her mind began to run scans. They appeared on the monitor to Shard's right.

"Oh sweet Mobius," Elias murmured as the list stretched on and on.

Chuck examined the list. "Exterior damage, ruptured data disk, damaged processing core, mutilated sound chip, immobilized limbs, cracked Power Gem Core..." The mechanist murmured before shaking his head.

"Will he be all right?" Silver asked.

Chuck shrugged. "I'm not sure boys..." He said before running a hand through his quills. "You should go and rest. We'll update you in the morning."

The two Freedom Fighters wordlessly left as Chuck shook his head again. "I don't know where to start..." He muttered.

NICOLE glanced at the list of damages within Shard. "If I were you, I'd work from the inside, out." She said. "Start with his circuitry and restore power to the Power Gem. That way, the energy can be used to help repair his damages."

Wordlessly, Chuck sat down on a stool, beginning to unscrew Shard's chest plate. The mechanist popped Shard's chest plate off, showing endless rows of fried disks and data. Smoke billowed from it, causing the professor to cough and wave it out of his face.

"Mosta this stuff is unusable..." He muttered. "What piece of junk."

"Uh, h-hey G-Gr-Gramps, I'm right h-here." A voice said.

"Shard!" NICOLE chimed as she looked at the smirking robot.

"Hey N-N-NICOLE, d-did I miss an-anything?" He asked before looking down to his chest. His voice kept stammering and messing up pitch. "W-Whoa, I didn't k-know we were p-playing o-operation."

Chuck grimaced. "Just shut up for a second, kid." He said. "I'm in your circuits. You could lose power at any second."

"H-Hey, n-not the f-first time." Shard joked.

The professor grimaced before removing the Gem from Shard's chest. The lynx gasped, as Shard's optics glitched green and then cleared of colour. "Sir, why did you do that?"

"The kid drives me nuts. I need to focus." Chuck kept his eyes locked to the complex circuitry inside Shard's chest. The professor handed the gem to NICOLE. "Put it somewhere safe so that it can begin to restore itself."

With a swift motion of her hand, NICOLE constructed a dome for the Power Gem, setting it in the middle. Her eyes focused on the gem as she heard the professor curse out the bot's billowing insides.

* * *

The two had worked through morning and until mid afternoon. Word had spread around Secret HQ, and soon, Larry, Lyco and Leeta had come to check up on their fellow comrade. Silver popped in again, asking if the bot had come back online. Harvey Who had also mysteriously come and gone, only "tsk"-ing when he saw Shard up on the belt. By afternoon, Chuck had fixed Shard's circuitry, replaced his disks and fixed his processing core. But the list extended much farther than the two could do in any given day.

The professor stood up, wiping off his hands. "I have a council meeting soon." He said. "I'll be back later tonight to fix the kid."

"I'll do what I can in the meantime, Sir." NICOLE said.

"You've done enough, NICOLE." The hedgehog said, placing a hand on the lynx's shoulder. "You should check in with Team Freedom, and make sure that Eggman hasn't tried anything anywhere else."

"If there were a problem, I would be the first to know, Sir. But I will take that into consideration." The guardian said. "I recommend that you rest before returning."

The professor gave a laugh. "There ain't no rest for the wicked, NICOLE." Chuck said as he walked to the door. "But the concern is appreciated. I'll see you later."

"Good bye," She chimed. The lynx glanced to the dismantled robot as the door shut. Shard's chest plate was still off, his internal wiring spewing out. His optics were still blank, which disconcerted NICOLE. When she was alone and the others were busy, the AI would usually enjoy a game of Chess with him. She would always win, despite both of them attaining advanced AIs.

She thought of calling Rotor and paraphrasing Shard's condition, but deemed it with a 89% failure rate of Rotor not believing her. Besides, the walrus was probably busy with Team Freedom. The group had been busy with damage control around the hospital and business area of New Mobotropolis. She would speak to Bunnie, but the rabbit had upped and disappeared without notice after Antoine entered the hospital. Same with Amy or Sonic or Tails, but they were busy attempting to liberate Sally from the clutches of Eggman. All her options had been invalidated. Shard was supposed to be a secret, as much as he could be. But NICOLE felt as though her mind would burst if she didn't not speak about what had happened.

She didn't want to bother the Director, as he would obviously be busy, along with Elias. One AI had already been damaged, and NICOLE didn't want to lose control of her nanites just by talking to Larry. Lyco and Leeta had left HQ to explore New Mobotropolis, and probably wouldn't be back until later on that day. And Silver was incredibly immature... Not to mention, NICOLE believed that he didn't get along with Shard.

The AI sighed before sitting down on the stool. Her eyes looked up to see meet Shard's orange optics. She wheeled closer to him, holding her hand out to graze his metallic muzzle. It was like cold, almost like ice. She pulled her hand away. "I just want to know what happened to you that could cause this damage..." She wondered out loud.

Her eyes wandered up to the screen that projected Shard's damages. He would need a new jet booster, fan, a motherboard, a sound chip, and probably a new plasma reserve. Most of the exterior damages would be fixed with the Power Gem Core. But that was heavily damaged itself. The gem itself would be hard to come by, and all of Shard's data and memories were stored inside.

That brought the next question: could it be repaired?

 _Surely with some sort of super adhesive or an intensive amount of Chaos Emerald radiation..._ She thought. The lynx looked back to Shard, orange optics still glowing. "I promise I'll repair you, Shard."

* * *

As the days passed, Chuck and NICOLE spent every moment they could trying to repair the broken bot. It was entering the fourth day of Shard's repair.

"How's the Power Gem, NICOLE?" Chuck asked as he dug through Shard's intense wiring, and pulled out his motherboard.

The AI examined the Power Gem. "Still cracked, Sir." She said.

Chuck hmmed and hahed over her response. "It _should_ be fixing itself by now." He said. "Maybe there's something wrong with it?"

"Perhaps."

Chuck replaced Shard's motherboard and rerouted his circuitry to the replacement. The old man replaced Shard's chest plate, as NICOLE screwed in the missing sections.

"Okay," Chuck said. "Let's see if the Power Gem'll work..." The AI handed the mechanist the diamond shaped gem. "Unplug him from the monitors. We have to see if it has power."

NICOLE began to unplug the bot from the machines monitoring and powering him. Chuck slid the Power Gem into Shard's chest plate.

"U-Ugh... Next time, warn me before you take out the thing that powers me!" Shard grimaced. He glanced down at himself. "What the-! I'm not fixed yet?"

"We're hoping that your Power Gem will be able to start regenerating your lost limbs and fixing any other broken elements in your body, Shard." NICOLE explained.

Shard smirked. "Well, I guess I'll have my handsome looks back sooner than I-" the robot's voice stopped as his optics cleared of colour again.

"What happened?" Chuck asked, as the two began two work on the bot.

NICOLE ran scans on Shard. "His Power Gem is too weak to support himself and try to power and repair at the same time. There's not enough energy." She said.

"We have to restore the power connection, then." Chuck grimaced.

He connected a chord to Shard's back, his systems rebooting. "Again?" He groaned.

"I hope you learned your lesson you ignorant botbrain," Chuck said as he rolled his stool over to Shard's chest. He began to apply a sealant to the Power Gem, to stop the cracking and attempt to repair it. "Don't mess around with machines twice your power."

"He wasn't twice as strong as me! The hunk of junk just self destructed and blasted me countless feet away!" Shard defended.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, son." Chuck said before glancing to his wrist watch-communicator. "Harvey's paging me... NICOLE, get power connections running to his cannon and leg. Those areas need the most attention.

"Of course, sir." NICOLE said as the mechanist got up from his stool.

"You take it easy son," Chuck said to Shard. "I'll be back soon to run diagnostics."

The hedgehog stood up and walked out from the lab, the door sliding shut behind him. "Jeez. He's a little annoyed." Shard said.

"Well, this is the seventh time he has repaired you since you were rebuilt." NICOLE said. She produced a cable and connected it to an outlet, running from the ground. "This may give a little shock."

"What do you mean—"The robot said as NICOLE showed him the connection wire. "Oh."

"I'm sorry." She said. "But it'll just be a sting."

The mecha gave her a smirk. "Hey NICOLE, I'm a big bot. Run my programs all by myself." He joked.

NICOLE gave him a smile. "I'm sure you do." She said, bringing the wire closer. "Ready?"

"Yeah." NICOLE lifted Shard's arm to an apex before snapping the wires in. A shock was sent through his body. His optics glitched as he let out a cry. NICOLE fastened the connection and set his arm back down. The robot's face had gone blank from the shock. "Whoa..." He murmured.

"I'm sorry," NICOLE said. "The current is strong and your body is weak, so..."

The robot gave her a look. "It's okay. Let's keep going." He said, a small smile forming in the crook of his metallic mouth. NICOLE produced another wire, and lifted the bottom of his torso. Shard blushed a little as she set up the connection. "Ready?"

He nodded, gritting his teeth. The shock surged through his body again before violently stopping. Shard glanced up to NICOLE, who had placed a hand on his. "Can you handle a few more?" She asked. "It's fine you cannot, they're just to help restart some programs in your data disks."

Shard glanced down at their intertwined hands before he laughed. "I've cheated death a few times, NICOLE, I think I'm good."

"Okay." NICOLE said, retracting her hand. She connected several small wires to Shard's cheeks, behind his spines and to the temples of his forehead. "All done."

Shard gave a pained smile to NICOLE, who sat down on the stool. "If I may, how powerful was Metal Sonic?"

"Well, he was outfitted with a Power Gem, if that answers your question." He said. "Guy was mega strong. He was a good fight in the beginning but..."

"But?"

The robot glanced at NICOLE. "The guy wasn't playing around. He wanted to destroy me and then get to New Mobotropolis and wreck the city and the people." He said. "I couldn't let that happen."

The bot reached out and touched her hand. "I didn't want to leave you or the others vulnerable." He said. "I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

NICOLE glanced to Shard. "NICOLE, you're... I-!"

The robot was cut off by Uncle Chuck making his entrance, accompanied by the Director. NICOLE quickly rose as the two entered.

Chuck cleared his throat. "NICOLE, would you allow us-"

The AI nodded, stopping Chuck's sentence. "Of course. Send me a signal if you need any assistance, sir."

NICOLE disappeared, retreating to the digital world. She let out a sigh. Shard was back online and he was going to get better. She knew that. So why did this heaviness hang in her mind?

"Run diagnostics." She commanded.

She watched as the green, geometric world around her turned to calculating data.

"Negative results." She murmured. "Hmm. Check firewall."

The results came back clear yet again.

"Malware."

Clear.

"Trojan scan."

Clear.

"History analysis."

Clear.

"Check for corrupted files."

Clear.

"Run virus scan."

Clear.

The AI looked annoyed at the words in front of her. Apparently, nothing was wrong... So why did she feel so... Off? She swatted her hand, clearing the data away. She felt the need to speak with someone, but everyone else was dealing with different threats across Mobius. The lynx shut her eyes, before lowering to the ground. She buried herself in the crook of her arms, resting her forehead on her knees.

"Hey, are you all right?"

NICOLE looked up, seeing Sally appear above her. The chipmunk wasn't roboticized; instead she appeared like she did years prior. She wore her trademark blue vest and matching boots, with her burgundy hair grown down her back. " _Sally?_ " NICOLE gasped.

The princess smiled. "You look sad, NICOLE. What's wrong?" She asked, sitting down.

"I..." The AI started. "I don't know. I'm scared Sally."

NICOLE looked to meet Sally's eyes. "That's okay." Sally said. "We're all scared."

"But... I'm an AI. I'm supposed to know everything. It's written in my coding." NICOLE said. Her hands turned into fists. "I've never not known about anything."

The princess laid a hand on NICOLE's arm. "NICOLE, just because you are an AI, doesn't mean you always know everything. Your processors and data allow you to learn and gain new knowledge." She said. "And that's what allows you to keep evolving. Otherwise, you would be a book, knowing only one or two things very well."

The AI glanced down at her hands before closing them. "Now, is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

The lynx nodded. "I... I don't know what's happening but... My mind keeps racing. I cannot seem to pinpoint my thoughts. And I... I get worried quite easily." She said. "I don't know what's going on Sally."

"When does this happen?" Sally asked.

"It's all very sudden and it comes in waves." NICOLE explained. "I've noticed it happening when I'm around another AI."

"Another AI? Do you Metal?"

"Oh Chaos, no!" NICOLE exclaimed before shaking her head. "I mean Shard."

"Shard? Who's that?"

NICOLE's eyes grew half lidded. "He's a rebuilt and repurposed Metal Sonic. He broke ties with Dr. Eggman and is with the Secret Freedom Fighters." She said, softly.

A smile grew across Sally's face. "NICOLE, have you ever thought of love?" She asked.

"Love?"

"Yes. Love."

"Well... I have thought of it chemically and mentally, but aside from that, no." NICOLE said.

The chipmunk got up. "I suggest you think about it for awhile, NICOLE."

A moment later, Sally disappeared. NICOLE realized that she had been an involuntary construction by herself. But it had helped all the same.

"Why would I need to think about love?" She asked. "I'm an AI. Why would code need to know about love?"

Nevertheless, the lynx felt as though the advice Sally had given her was valid. "Define: Love." She said, as a definition appeared in front of her. "A feeling of deep or intense affection towards another; a romantic or sexual attachment to another being."

Love was a feeling exclusive to Mobians. She saw it everywhere. Sonic and Sally, Bunnie and Antoine, Knuckles and Julie-Su, Charmy and Lady Saffron, Mina and Ash, even the insufferable match of Scourge and Fiona...

It was a formula: two people meet, create a bond, spend time together before validating it in the form of union and spend their lives together. If it was so predictable, then why did people lust for it? She could recall when she had accidentally taken Sally's body. She felt odd feelings of attraction towards Sonic, but classified them as emotions specific to Mobians. Yes, she did have emotions. She felt sorrow when Sally had been robotic and weaponized. She was overjoyed when the Freedom Fighters had accepted New Mobotropolis as their new home.

"Why do I keep thinking about Shard?" She asked. "It's not like I have any attachment to him… I suppose, yes, we are both AI. And yes, I do win against him regularly in chess. And I was worried when he went to fight Metal Sonic..." She murmured. "Do I..."

Her systems suddenly beeped. The AI eyes glanced to a green, geometric version of her mobile unit. Uncle Chuck's picture came on the screen. "NICOLE, I've run diagnostics on Shard. Would you be able to come out for a moment?"

It was Uncle Chuck. NICOLE wordlessly disappeared from the digital world and materialized in the laboratory. Shard was in sleep mode. Chuck's arms were crossed against his chest as he shook his head.

"What were the results, Sir?" She asked.

"His Power Gem will need time to heal. A lot of time." Chuck said. "Harvey's got some intel on Naugus' new plan and he needs the Secret Freedom Fighters to head out ASAP."

"Without Shard?" She asked.

"No. They'll need all the help they can get." Chuck said. "Harvey doesn't know what's gone on with Naugus, but he's disappeared like a ghost. He wants a team tracking the whereabouts of Naugus and one surveilling St. John."

NICOLE scanned the diagnostics. "He won't be prepared to leave the lab for weeks." She said.

"I know." Chuck said before turning to the lynx. "But I have an idea."

He pulled up an image of Shard's cracked Power Gem and a Chaos Emerald. "Both gems are made up of the same properties. Thing is, the Chaos Emeralds are much more powerful. If we could use the energy from one to help repair Shard's Power Gem7y8y, his recovery would speed up by 97-"

"-Because there's not enough energy to repair the Gem and himself." The lynx filled in. "But isn't there a chance that it could short out his circuits?"

Chuck nodded. "Yes. But if we calculate how much and how long Shard should be exposed to it, we can prevent it from frying the circuits." He said. "It'll be tough, but we can do it."

"I agree." NICOLE said as Chuck rested a hand on her shoulder.

"This was not the only reason I called for you, NICOLE." He said. "I need to ask a favour of you."

"Yes?"

"You need to explain this to Shard. I can't go five minutes without wanting to dismantle the kid." He said. "If you could..."

"I would be happy to." NICOLE said.

"Excellent." Chuck said. "Tell him once he comes out of sleep mode. I'll get Harvey to get a team to track a Chaos Emerald and have it ready by sunrise."

The hedgehog reached for his vest. "Going home?" She asked. He nodded. "Then rest well, Sir. We have a lot of work to prepare for tomorrow."

Chuck gave NICOLE a smile. "And you as well, dear." He advised before exiting the lab.

"What was that about?"

NICOLE flinched before turning to Shard, whose optics scanned her.

"I suppose you heard." She murmured.

"What about Chaos Emeralds?" Shard asked.

The lynx sat down on the stool, rolling over to face the robot head on. "Might I explain over a game of chess?" She asked.

"Sure." He said as NICOLE created a chessboard out of nanites. The lighter pieces were turned to the bot. "You go first." She insisted.

The bot moved a pawn, prompting NICOLE to take her turn. They played in silence for a while, covering the two like snow.

"NICOLE takes rook." She said, knocking over Shard's piece. He gave a smirk before knocking over her knight. "Shard takes knight."

NICOLE's eyes looked up to meet his optics. "So, what was Gramps tellin' ya about me?" He asked.

She slid her bishop on the board. "The director needs you for a mission concerning Geoffrey St. John and Ixis Naugus." He said. "Naugus is missing in action."

Shard glanced at the tubes keeping him powered. "Well, that's a bit of a problem." He muttered.

"Professor Charles has devised a plan to use a Chaos Emerald as radiation therapy." She said, watching as he took his turn. "He wants to use it to transfer energy to your Power Gem Core and speed up your recovery."

"How long will I be out of commission?" He asked. "Without the Emerald?"

"Weeks. Months even." She said. "And who knows what Commander St. John and Naugus are planning?"

Shard glanced at the board. "How long will it take?"

"Minutes. According to graphed calculations, your limbs would have major repair by nightfall. You might be able to walk by then." She said. "But there are risks, Shard."

He gave a laugh. "There's a risk to everything NICOLE." He said, knocking over yet another pawn. "There was I risk that I could've died in the Great Wastes."

NICOLE took her turn. "If we do this incorrectly, your Power Gem will be wiped. You could face deletion." She said.

"Are you trying to deter me from this?"

"I just... I want you to know everything about it."

The bot picked up a piece, knocking over NICOLE's king. "Shard takes NICOLE. Checkmate." He said.

NICOLE stared at the board, seeing the fallen over king. She let out a sigh. "I guess you got me there." She acknowledged.

The robot gave a smirk before letting it fall a little. "NICOLE, could I tell you something?" He asked.

"Absolutely." She said.

The robot glanced around the lab, noticing the camera set up in the corner. Monitors were set up everywhere around the two. "Maybe somewhere a little more... Private?" He asked.

"Shard, you can't move." She said. "It makes it a little hard to leave the lab."

The robot's destroyed arm cannon shot out a blackened cord. "I meant the digital realm?" He said. NICOLE used the cord and connected it to her communication unit. The bot's optics turned into green slits as she dematerialized.

She appeared, seeing Shard power up near her. The bot's leg had been repaired, but his cannon was still trashed. Without any movement of her hands, she constructed a recreation of the Lake of Rings from Knothole. The robot looked at her in awe. "Where is this?" He asked.

NICOLE held out her hands in front of the lake. "Knothole, prior to Dr. Eggman's leveling of the city."

"Hard to believe this place became the Great Wastes." He muttered.

NICOLE sat down in front of the lake, dipping a toe in the water. Her eyes half closed as she traced her extremity in the lake.

"So," he said. "if I don't get this radiation, there's no way telling when I'll get better... But if I do, and it's done incorrectly, I could get deaded."

NICOLE nodded. "Although 'deleted' would have sufficed." She added.

The bot shot her a smirk before sitting down beside her. "NICOLE, I'm going to do it." He said. "My team needs me and I can't sit by while they struggle. Mobotropolis needs help and my purpose is to ensure safety for the people."

"I respect your choice." NICOLE said as the bot's optics looked to her.

"I need to tell you something." He said. "I tried to tell you before all this happened but... Things got in the way."

He waved his cannon at her. The lynx gave a sad smile before looking to Shard. She swore she saw Shard blush, even though his metallic cheeks showed no colour. "I... I love you."

The AI swore time slowed for a minute. She processed his words over and over again, attempting to make sense of them. _I love you._

The lynx shut her eyes as Shard began to scramble. "I mean, I just wanted to say that in care anything happened..." He said. "You don't have to say anything you don't mean."

NICOLE slowly glanced up at Shard, who know looked away from her. She set a hand on his busted cannon. She didn't say a word. Only staring at her hand on his cannon. She felt warmth accumulating underneath his metallic exterior.

"Shard, I can't say I love you back."

The robot's face saddened. She could tell he was expecting this. "It's not written in my code. I'm simply a computer..." She said. "I wasn't built with complex emotions like you were."

Her conversation with Sally spring to mind. _You're an AI. It allows you to continuously evolve and learn new things.  
_  
The lynx felt her cheeks grow warm. "But..." She said. She felt Shard's optics on her as she glanced up to him. "I can grow. I can evolve. I can learn new things."

The robot's heat surged as he looked at NICOLE. She gave a smile. "Maybe, you'd be willing to teach me how to love." She said.

The robot gave a smile as the lynx glanced to him. She leaned towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The two AIs sat there for a moment before NICOLE laughed, causing Shard to join in. The two laid down by the lake, laughing like children. Staring up at the stars, which slowly began to fade, NICOLE realized it was getting closer to the morning.

The robot acknowledged this. "Almost time..." He muttered.

NICOLE nodded as she stood up, holding her hand out to the bot. They glanced at their touching hands before quickly embracing again. There were no words exchanged, only the brief hug. They broke apart, prompting Shard to speak.

"We should probably..." He started.

"Yes." NICOLE said as they both dematerialized. They appeared back in the lab, Shard retracting his connection cord. As if on cue, Chuck entered with Chaos Emerald in tow. He and NICOLE began preparing for the treatment.

"We'll remove your Power Gem, and use Chaos radiation for about five minutes to help repair and begin the recovery." Chuck explained.

Shard stayed quiet, keeping his optics on NICOLE. Chuck prepared the containment unit for Shard's Power Gem and the Chaos Emerald.

"Hey Chuck, mind giving me a minute with NICOLE?" Shard asked.

The hedgehog shot the bot a look, as if saying, _You have GOT to be kidding me._ "Please?" Shard asked. The professor grumbled before leaving the lab.

The robot turned to NICOLE and gave her a smile. Their free hands connected, fingers lacing together. "Stay safe." She said. "Please."

Shard gave a small chuckle. "Hey, my blueprints are from a guy who cheated death multiple times." He said, smirking. "I can handle a little Chaos energy."

"I know you can. Just, promise me. Okay?"

The robot smiled. "I promise."

"Are you two almost done canoodling in there? I've got other things I wanna do today!" Chuck hollered from outside the lab.

NICOLE let out a small laugh as Shard rolled his green optics. "Give me a sec, Gramps!" Shard called back. "Geez. Cranky ol dude."

"He's right though." NICOLE said.

"I know, I know." Shard grumbled before leaning forwards and kissing NICOLE's hand. "All right. I'm done."

Wordlessly, the AI leaned towards Shard and planted and kiss on his metallic lips. It was a simple peck, nothing more. She felt heat rush to her face. She could hear Shard's sensors going nuts. She let her eyes shut and melt away.

"Jeez, you two really _were_ canoodling." Chuck said in awe.

The professor's entrance made both NICOLE and Shard jump a little. He paid no attention to the fact that NICOLE kept a tight hold on Shard's hand. "All right, Shard. Are you ready?"

The robot nodded before glancing at NICOLE. He gave her a smile before his optics cleared of colour. She removed his Power Gem, gingerly handing it to Uncle Chuck, who placed it into the incubation chamber.

"Let's hope this works..." He murmured.

NICOLE's hands danced across the nanite-made keyboards that she produced. Her eyes drifted from her work and to Shard's body, hanging on the chain belt. _I hope it does._ She thought.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _hnggg ok so if you can guess, i love me some ais._

 _i wrote this in the span of two days back in early december, so forgive me if this isn't a+ work ok? ok. it was just_ _to fulfill my personal selfish shardicole needs until i remembered that i'm (hopefully) not the only kid who ships these cuties… that is one fine ship…_

 _issue 50 left me with so many unanswered questions that haven't been addressed in the post sgw continunity… i'm really holding out for shard, but i'm pretty sure that's not going to happen for two possible reasons: a) Penders, nuff said. that dude might have a copyright on shardarini... he did coin the power gems back in the knuckles chaotix comic adaptation, so that would automatically put him down and out for the count. it's what allows him to function and yknow... not be a pile of metal sonic and scourge parts haha... b) sega put out a mandate stating that there can only be one metal sonic at a time; shard is a metal sonic variation, and might qualify, therefore, he cannot be used. but i digress._

 _a little note about the nickname 'spades'... i decided to appoint nicole the queen of spades since lyco and leeta are hearts and diamonds. i always kinda felt like she was an honourary secret freedom fighter. and since they're in covert operations, elias and silver couldn't balantly address nicole as nicole, because it would give away her identity. this is set around the time when nicole has been exiled from new mobotropolis by naugus. if she were to be discovered inside the city, she could face deletion, so giving her an alias just made sense... also, in her "dream" inside the digital realm, i used sally's older design with her long hair... i always thought that was a more elegant and fitting design for a gal of her stature as opposed to the 90s' pompadour._

 _it feels kinda weird to post this, y'know? my other fics have been about silv and blaze, so jumping from pyro-psycho kids to two ai nerds as main character is kiiiiiiinda... odd. it's mostly to do with characterization since silver is my awkward son and blaze is so aloof and independent, and that nicole's a literal cupcake and shard's just a little shit.. but also to do canon, since two of my recent fics have been strictly game-related... but i suppose stepping towards the comics is a refreshing change of pace. it's always nice t switch up style every so often c:_

 _thanks for reading~!_

 _(also, please ignore the shitty title and how monstrously huge this fic is... i should've divvied it up into two...)_


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